The Smithsonian withdraws sponsorship of intelligent design film

NY Times ^ | 6/3/05

[Crackingham]

The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History has withdrawn its co-sponsorship of a showing later this month of a film that supports the theory of "intelligent design."

The museum said it would not cancel the screening of the film, "The Privileged Planet," but would return the $16,000 that the Discovery Institute, an organization that promotes a skeptical view of the Darwinian theory of evolution, had paid it.

Proposals for events at the National Museum of Natural History are reviewed by members of the staff, and it shares sponsorship of all events. After the news of the showing caused controversy, however, officials of the museum screened "Privileged Planet" for themselves.

"The major problem with the film is the wrap-up," said Randall Kremer, a museum spokesman.

"It takes a philosophical bent rather than a clear statement of the science, and that's where we part ways with them."

[PatrickHenry]

EvolutionPing

A pro-evolution science list with over 280 names. See the list's description at my freeper homepage. Then FReepmail to be added or dropped.

[Salman]

bump

[js1138]

Not enough information to form an opinion.

[PatrickHenry]

Earlier thread (last week) on this topic:
Smithsonian to Screen a Movie That Makes a Case Against Evolution.

[Focault's Pendulum]

Guaranteed...someone will comment that the Smithsonian is run by godless heathens.

[ClearCase_guy]

Well, it is.

[PatrickHenry]

This is from a Washington Post article (which we can't post in its entiret):

Last week, Denyse O'Leary, a Canadian author sympathetic to the intelligent design movement, posted on her blog that the Smithsonian, in a "stunning development," was going to screen the documentary. The New York Times picked up the story Saturday.

The news spread across science blogs -- especially those dedicated to the evolution debate.

When Randi heard the story, he says he called the Smithsonian offering the institution $20,000 not to show the film.

"They are renting the place for this creationist film, but apparently [the Smithsonian] didn't know it was creationist film," Randi said from his Fort Lauderdale headquarters. If it was a "matter of money, which I doubt," he said, "then I'm ready to surpass that."

In its statement yesterday, the Smithsonian said it will honor the agreement to screen the film June 23, but that it does not endorse the film and will not accept the agreed-upon fee offered for the auditorium.

"We're disappointed," Chapman said [Bruce Chapman, president of the Discovery Institute]. "We met all their conditions -- screening the film for them, agreeing [to list the Smithsonian] director's name on the invitation and so forth -- and then some mention of this in the media, and now they want to backtrack to some degree, and we don't get it."

[SampleMan]

You dare not be "too" open minded in science, lest you incur the wrath of the appointed ones.

Not much has changed since Galileo. Science, and scientists stifle dissent.

[AntiGuv]

"It takes a philosophical bent rather than a clear statement of the science, and that's where we part ways with them."

That must be the polite way of saying: "It suddenly veers into wild-ass guesses unsupported by any evidence, and that's where we part ways with them."

[Right Wing Professor]

Not much has changed since Galileo. Science, and scientists stifle dissent.

Huh? Pope Urban VIII was a scientist?

[SampleMan]

Try to think big.

Galileo was stifled by those in power, who felt his ideas were threatening. At that time it was the church. Today it is the scientific community. Only evolutionary thought is accepted. Revolutionary thought, counter to accepted theories (treated as fact) are attacked without mercy.

This is true in every field. e.g. New world fire pit carbon dates to 120,000 B.C, the first response is to call the paper's author an idiot.

[curiosity]

Wow. That's twice the Smithsonian has let an ID piece through now. Someone's asleep at the switch.

[Right Wing Professor]

Galileo was stifled by those in power, who felt his ideas were threatening. At that time it was the church. Today it is the scientific community

Guy, if we were in power, the NSF budget would not be less than what the nation spends on disposable diapers.

[Right Wing Professor]

Galileo was stifled by those in power, who felt his ideas were threatening. At that time it was the church. Today it is the scientific community

Guy, if we were in power, the NSF budget would not be less than what the nation spends on disposable diapers.

[Right Wing Professor]

New world fire pit carbon dates to 120,000 B.C, the first response is to call the paper's author an idiot.

Since carbos dating doesn't even work to 100,000 BC, that would be my response, too.

[American Vet Repairman]

"someone will comment that the Smithsonian is run by godless heathens."


I wish the Smithsonian would publish and put on display the chemical reaction that shows how a non-living thing became alive.

Oh wait....there is no reaction on record.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Dimensio]

Or that they succumbed to secularist pressure. Or the ACLU.

[Doctor Stochastic]

... return the $16,000 that the Discovery Institute,...

They should have kept the money. Moon has plenty.